Embracing Uncertainty
by Xoie
Summary: Ladybug realizes she has trekked too far into the depth of her feelings for Chat noir. the problem? This quaking revelation of hers strikes her three years too late. What is she to do on cupid's night in the city of love? a ladynoir valentines day special.


It had been three years. Three years since Marinette had received the earrings. Three years since she'd become the savior of Paris.

In all her three years, she never expected this to happen. ever.

Things escalated quickly and before she knew it, her gloved hands were tugging Chat noir's collar towards her.

It was a cursed evening-Valentine's day.

Marinette hated valentine's day.

Everyone was either shamelessly sucking each other's faces off or showering each other with roses which would eventually die, along with pretty, red cards that would only end up in the trash by the day after.

She never understood why couples had to broadcast their affection for one another to the world. I mean, don't get her wrong, small cheek pecks and little lip nips were fine. She was French, after all.

But, adhesively feasting on each other on benches and cramped corners of the school was disgusting.

It made her want to gag and stick out her tongue.

When asked, she would simply say, "There's nothing wrong with loving your significant other, just don't make it so that the rest of us single dumplings feel the need to puke."

AKA, keep it PG. No one wants to see y'all grinding.

The entire day she had been dodging lovey-dovey couples. Using her hands to shield her eyes from the horror, she would speed down the hall making sure to keep her gaze lowered.

That being said, by sundown, she was pooped.

Looking into her mirror, she squished her cheeks, forming a pout. An undefinable groan came from her throat. Sighing, she straightened up, looking her reflection up and down.

Gently grazing her brow with the side of her finger, she lifted its hairs before doing the same with her bangs. Staring at her splotchy face, her fingertips skimmed over her skin and plump lips.

Sinking her teeth into her bottom lip, she hesitated before opening her drawer. Rummaging through its many makeup supplies, she conjured a clear, shiny lip gloss.

A part of her questioned why she even bothered to touch up before patrol but the other, bigger, part of her told herself to shut up. It was for herself. Obviously.

It's not like Chat noir would notice the difference.

 _Yes he will. Stop lying to yourself._

The voices mused, mocking her.

Rolling her eyes-at herself of course- she smeared the gloss across her lips and admired the way it made them pop.

Ruffling her locks, she turned around and searched for Tikki who was watching her intently from atop her chaise.

The bluenette had to admit, she had noticed her own...excitement for patrols sometime last year, the feeling only growing as time went by.

Marinette wasn't one to question her obsessive nature, so naturally she never bothered to mull over the fact that she was slowly kindling feelings for a certain boy in black leather.

Ever since the night Chat noir had understood her reasons for not returning his feelings-which, turned out, hadn't been flirty remarks-and accepted her privacy all the while being content with the title of best friend, had tugged at her heartstrings.

Thing was, she didn't realize it until months later.

It was around the blossom of winter last year, when clumps of snow drifted across the sidewalks that she realized her focus was more on her partner than the parisian night.

It was also the night she discovered she had a type. Blonde hair and green eyes. How amazing.

He had matured in a decent way, his broad shoulders and lean muscles brandished in the tight spandex of the suit; leaving little to the imagination. His mane of hair ruffled in the wind and glowing, jade eyes held a sparkle of juvenile mirth.

"You can't sneak up on me, you know that right?"

Oh yeah, the one other thing that had also changed, aside from his vivid masculinity, was that he'd stopped calling her his lady.

It didn't hurt but it didn't feel right either. If she were honest, it really nagged Marinette. Maybe that's why she put in such an effort to look good for patrol.

It had started rather innocently. A flick of mascara here, maybe a hint of blush there (not that much of it showed). But then, as the new year slowly toed closer and closer, she became more daring. Opening her signature pigtails was a leap of faith.

She had noticed his surprise that evening. It was a look she made sure to sear into her memory. Maybe that's why she ditched the pigtails again tonight.

Ladybug chortled at his comment, padding over next to him as he gazed at the horizon lit by the lights of the city.

"Cat ears." He said, pointing to them, finally turning to look at her. His eyes glinted with something she couldn't pinpoint but it only lasted for a few seconds.

Brushing it off, she simply smiled, moving her focus to the vast city before her. It was quite besides the faint notes of a violin being played some streets down. The raven head figured it was for some couple's dinner.

A somber feeling of pitiful remorse settled into the pit of her stomach.

"Right, let's get this patrol over with." She mumbled, unhooking her yo-yo and throwing it to latch onto a nearby pole.

She would have launched herself in the air were it not for the little snort she heard from her partner.

Stalling, she turned to him, raising a brow.

Chat noir suppressed his laughter, his lips thinning into a straight line. Grabbing his baton, he stepped onto the ledge of the roof.

"Cat ears." He said before leaping off, indicating that he'd heard her.

This puzzled the girl. Bounding behind him, she caught up to his swift pace. They landed some roofs down, near the seine.

"How's that funny?" She inquired.

"What?"

"You laughed. How was that funny?"

Oh.

Chat brought his hand to his mouth, covering the smile teasing his lips. Forcing a cough, he scratched his nape-a habit she noticed whenever he was unsure of something or feeling rather timid.

"Nothing, it's just that you're in a hurry to finish tonight's patrol," he said casually, bringing his hands up behind his head, "did you ditch your date? Have him waiting or something?"

This time it was ladybug who snorted.

"And what makes you think I have a date waiting for me to return?" She challenged, a playful smirk tugging her lips.

Chat noir looked down at her, his slitted irises focusing on her soft, moonlit face. He took a lanky step forward, hands dropping to his side.

"Your lips."

And with that he turned, leaping onto the roof before them. It shouldn't have been a shock; they were only two words. Two words that left her blinking in surprise and her insides stinging with heat.

 _Told you he'd notice._

She didn't understand where her little crush on her partner came from. It wasn't particularly annoying but it caused her nerves to spark and jitter mercilessly. She couldn't control it, no matter how stoic she'd try to be.

Her cheeks would always flare into this gorgeous shade of crimson and her skin would bristle with straws beneath her suit. Her heart would thud or quicken its pace without warning.

Needless to say, it sucked.

She wanted it to go away and let her be. But if she were honest, the high of it all left an erie kind of satisfaction which would burst dopamine within her bloodstream; leaving her vulnerable to his attention and craving more.

Looking up, she realized he hadn't waited for her and was far off in the distance.

Huffing, she swung across the many roofs she had countlessly ran across in the past. Every shadow, every tile held a memory. Each one stabbing her harder than the previous.

Yes, it had been three years. Marinette had expected little change, even with the miraculous. she should have known better.

Looking at the melancholy standing tall a few roofs a head of her, she sighed. The one change she couldn't bear was her partner.

Her sweet kitty who she so easily let slip through the cracks between her fingers.

It was pitiful on her part, really.

She should have stopped pursuing Adrien when he had made it clear that they were indeed, really good friends and nothing more. But no, her ambition got the better of her and she refused to let go-not without a fight.

For two years she'd pinned after him only to be indirectly rejected. Every. Single. Time.

Once she sobered up to the fact that chasing after him was like chasing after the horizon, she realized it was useless. She didn't need love. It was a letdown which simply hurt too much and left abrasive scars all over.

And so, she began her recovery-and was doing just fine too.

Lucky her, it was around that time that her stupid heart just _had_ to ruin things. For the minute she was able to accept defeat over Adrien and (finally) move on, her heart warmed up to chat.

And that's when her limbs froze up. She couldn't give in, she couldn't do that to him.

Chat noir was one of her best friends. She wouldn't dare let him be a rebound.

So she did what any other logical and considerate person would do. She tried to shove those feeling down into the very back of her mind. It had worked for sometime but ultimately, those feelings came back, stronger than ever.

Her eyes narrowed on the figure jumping ahead of her, gracefully flying from roof to roof, heading for Notre Dame.

What a pity it was that once she realized her control over these feelings were beyond her reach; that she should give in and confess, he had lost interest in her.

She wanted to apologize. Truly apologize. To little, too late. Chat noir owed her nothing and if he had moved on, then she shouldn't even think of indulging into her tempting thoughts. There was no returning to the beginning.

She had lost her chance.

Sighing heavily, the heroine turned to see that her partner was staring down at her from the roof, high atop the church.

He was studying her, the way her blanket of hair gently swayed in the february breeze. It was chilly out and goosebumps had began decorating his skin. She looked gorgeous in the moonlight. Her eyes sparkled with a question.

He wondered when he'd be able to hear it. He was trying so hard to get over her.

It was like every fibre of his being resisted, straining him until his muscles burned, aching and begging him to stop. She loved another man. Who ever he was, he was damn lucky.

He didn't want to intervene between his lady and her lover. So he had started telling himself that she wasn't his and was out of bounds. Then, when he'd mastered his mantra, he brought down the axe and cut it with the pet names.

How he missed them, the way they would roll off his tongue. There were times-like tonight- when he'd nearly slip up and call her that; his lady. But then he'd catch himself, reminding himself that she was most definitely not his.

Yanking herself over the roof, she balanced herself on the slanted top.

Nervously tucking a stray lock behind her ear, she placed her gaze on his, only to see that his focus was already on her.

It looked as if he was on the verge of saying something but decided to back down last minute.

Ladybug threw him a quizzical look. Steadying herself, she carefully made her way over to him.

Upon seeing her move, chat turned, looking out towards the Eiffel tower, shimmering proudly in the distance.

Ladybug took his gesture the wrong way. To her, it looked as if chat didn't even want to _talk_ to her. Had she said something?

"Well, today's been a bust." The heroine sighed, wrapping her arms around one of the many gargoyles planted across the roof.

Chat couldn't help but chuckle. Shaking his head, he glanced her way.

"And why's that?" He let out before extending his baton to jump onto one of the twin towers at the front of the structure.

Landing gracefully next to him, she padded over to the roof's edge. The smooth ashlar welcomed her fingertips as they trailed up the cinder blocks only to grip the edge of the railing.

Closing her eyes, she allowed the soft, midnight breeze dance with her loose, tendril locks. An almost glowing kind of warmth enveloped her body. she felt his presence next to her as if he were the sun, blinding her behind closed lids.

"I don't." She burt softly, moments later.

"What?"

Turning her head to face him, her lips bared the slightest of a smile.

"You asked me if I had a date waiting for me. I don't." sighing, she turned her gaze upward towards the hand full of twinkling stars, " I guess that's why today's been...a bust."

There was silence. A very loud, deafening silence.

Chat noir's heart dropped. It fell like poor dumpty sitting on a wall; the shock cracking through its thick muscle and flesh. Then, like a flash of lightning, it came back to life, throbbing with every beat.

Ladybug didn't have a date. Then...why did she look so...so-

 _Beautiful_.

Breathtakingly beautiful. Who had she bothered to get ready for?

He got his answer seconds later.

It was the way her eyes flicked back to his; the way she set her striking gaze on him through her thick, fan of lashes. But what gave it away was the way her teeth slowly sank into her bottom lip, tugging at it with uncertainty.

It was him.

But that wasn't right for she loved another man. Hell, she TOLD him three years ago.

...was it possible that she maybe have changed her mind? He didn't want to assume things so quickly. His heart was already wounded, he wasn't trying to kill himself.

"I thought you already had...someone." He said softly, looking down at the railing.

A hollow laugh escaped those perfect lips.

"I wish."

Yep. That was the dagger.

 _See? She 'wishes'. Stop leading yourself on._

An exasperated sigh tumbled out of her lungs as her shoulders sank.

"He just...isn't for me, chat."

This caught his attention.

His heart stammered before spiking into a new, faster melody of thuds. As his eyes flicked up to her face, he could see the ache tinged into the curve of her forlorn smile.

She waited a beat before turning her head to face him yet again.

"I tried. I pinned after him like an idiot for two years. It just wasn't meant to be. He's one of my best friends though. He just...didn't want anything more than that." she finished quietly.

He stared at her. The closed, tight lip smile she flashed him was of nothing but pain. But as he took her words into account, he couldn't help but feel as though there was something else.

She wasn't telling him the whole truth.

"What about you? Got a date?" she teased in a poignant manner.

Chat blinked at her question.

"Nnno…" He stretched, brows knitting behind the mask as he tried to understand why she would even ask such a thing.

"Oh...I thought-um-I thought you had someone." she admitted moments later.

This made him choke.

"What?! No! I-I don't my la-" He bit his tongue down before he could finish his slip up.

Too late. The damage was done.

Something sizzled in her dazzling eyes as she looked up at him in disbelief. A fluttering brushed her tensed muscles and the seeds of a smile planted across her lips.

Upon seeing her reaction, Chat stopped dead in his tracks. She was..happy to hear that slip up. Infact, by the tug of the corners of her lips, he would even dare to say that she looked over joyed.

"My lady-" his heart pounded with such force, the pleasure of saying that again broke the ice, "-I don't have a date. Mainly because I don't have another someone."

He waited for her to comprehend his little hint. The way her pupils suddenly dilated told him she had.

"...another?" She questioned softly, apprehension tearing at her doubtful nerves. She had to be sure she didn't misinterpret what he'd said.

Her heart was already wounded, she wasn't trying to kill herself.

Smiling he turned his torso to her, arm resting on the bars of the ancient railing.

"Yeah, another. No matter what I do, my heart is already set on someone. Getting over her is im-paw-sibble." He joked at the end, flicking his hands in a cat-like manner.

"Really?"

Her heart pulsed hard.

"Really."

Her blood gushed into her chambers.

"Who is she?"

He stepped closer, delicately leaning forward.

"You."

At that, her ticker clashed with her rib cage, thundering like the beating of a stallion's hooves on rough terrain.

At first, she stared at him, awestruck. Was this real; was she really that blunt? For what she thought were reasons chat had moved on were his mere attempts at getting over her.

Her.

Getting over _her._

This is the part when Ladybug lost all sense of logic and ethical behavior. Seeing the way the soft moonlight casted its halo glow upon his toned body and chiseled jaw, she couldn't keep her hands to herself.

She went right for his lips.

It was awkward to say the least. Without warning, her lips mushed atop of chats'.

However, it didn't stay awkward for long. Chat noir came to life the moment she was about to pull away.

Closing his eyes, he gently placed his hands on her hips and tilted his face, opening his mouth ever so slightly.

Leaning forward, he kissed her back as shivers of blissful shock rolled down his spine.

Things escalated quickly and before she knew it, her gloved hands were tugging Chat noir's collar towards her.

Taking this as sign for wanting more, Chat angled his face, their noses colliding annoyingly for a brief moment before they delved back into one another. Going up on her toes, ladybug coiled her arms around his nape.

Bringing her shoulders up, she grabbed at his messy locks, trying to get closer. The height difference was a pain.

Noticing his lady's distress, chat wrapped his arms around her waist for stability. With a grunt, he staggered forward until her back was pressed up against the ashlar wall.

In one, swift move, he lifted her off the ground, having her straddle his hips in order to keep her afloat.

She smiled into his lips as her legs curled around his torso.

A low rumble which she could only define as a purr came from within chat's chest. Bringing up his one hand, he brushed back her hair, softly moaning into the kiss.

Ladybug tugged on his bottom lip before breaking for air. Resting her forehead on his, she silently caught her breath while tenderly tucking his stray locks behind his ear over and over again.

She wanted to make sure he memorized her tranquil touch.

Their breath mingled and lightly fanned on the other's chin in what little space they had between their lips. It didn't take long for her to lean down again.

Her pepper of kisses started soft at first, then gradually grew in intensity the closer she got to the nook of his jaw.

Riding the tides of pleasurable vehemence, Chat pressed against her, supporting her further on the wall.

This allowed the heroine to really go in with her nipping kisses just beneath his pulse line. Rewarded with a low, grunting moan, she pulled back, connecting foreheads once again.

A soft, tinkering giggle escaped her lips. Chat noir didn't lie when he said that to him, it was the greatest melody his ears had ever heard.

The light pink hue stinging his cheeks beneath the mask told all. He was falling for her, harder than before. He didn't know it was possible until now.

Her fingers did wonders to his hair, they never stopped traveling through his locks of blond. Her thumb came down to caress his masked cheeks. She smiled as he hummed into her touch.

Gingerly tapping the pad of her pointer finger on his lips, she gently lowered her own, careful not to bump into his nose this time.

Her lids grew heavy as beautiful goosebumps pricked at her skin. The moment his lips enveloped her with such a tender sweetness; she knew.

She was falling for him. Had fallen for him. Will forever fall with him.

As his hands traveled up the sides of her body, she tugged him closer until their chests were mended together and the vigorous beat of their hearts were of one.

Chat genty pulled away, lips skimming the skin along her jaw only to begin planting sweet kisses down her neck.

He found her soft spot as she jerked, giggling with delight upon contact. He took the advantage by warming her up.

At first, he lightly pressed his lips against her lavender scented skin. Once her squirming had come down, he began nibbling on the spot, pleased with the mewl he'd managed out of her.

It wasn't long before he kissed his way back up to her soft lips. They rocked together in the quakes of passion clashing against their bodies.

Pulling away for the final time and gasping for air, ladybug lifted her head and placed her hands on his firm shoulders as he gently placed her back down.

She could practically _feel_ the muscles working as he lowered her. That suit really did leave little to the imagination.

She was sure her lip gloss was smeared across her cheeks judging by the way Chat's face looked like a glittery pool of sparkles around his lips.

A giddy, lovesick smile adorned the two.

It was Chat who broke the blissful silence.

"I had no idea you were such an expert kisser, m'lady."

Ladybug chortled, casting her timid gaze downward.

To this, chat hooked a clawed finger just below her chin, tilting her face up. She easily complied, her eyes locking with his as a result.

She had kissed him.

No, she had bathed him in a feeling so lustful that it sunk him in a painful pleasure. She had mended him like clay with hands soft as the flakes of snow.

She had set the both of them aflame, and like phoenixes, caused them to reach such a high that they burst into sparks, fluttering down into ashes only to rise up once again in burning passion.

That being said, what they shared seemed much too intimate for a kiss.

Her heart came to halt and then sped forth. She had just given her heart to Chat noir atop Notre Dame. Her only witness, the full moon.

Her chest swelled and for once, she let the flame within her kindle.

"Happy Valentine's day, Kitty." she whispered, lightly squeezing his hands.

A blush spurred across his cheeks, seeping beneath his mask. Leaning forward, he left a quick, tender peck on her lips.

"Happy Valentine's day M'lady."

*

It was Thursday morning and Adrien shuffled to the locker room, bag slung loosely over his shoulder. He hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night.

He didn't mind it though...except there did come a point when Plagg had to tell him to shut up because he couldn't stop questioning whether last night even happened or if he had merely imagined it all.

Looking around, he realized he wasn't the only sleep deprived student in the halls.

Finally making it to the row of lockers where the four of them (Alya, Marinette, him and Nino) usually met up before first bell, he noticed he wasn't the first one to arrive.

Surprisingly, it was Marinette who was leaning against the locker, lost in deep thought.

Smiling, he quickened his pace, eager to greet her and (hopefully) be able to scare her.

Marinette had always pounced on him unexpectedly, giving him a heart attack every damn time. But not today. For today, he (FINALLY) had a window of opportunity.

As he drew closer, he slowly crept over, making sure to be absolutely quiet. He would pounce her this time...or at least, he was going to.

Adrien stopped dead in his tracks from what he saw. There was a small, burgundy mark on the side of Marinette's neck, much too similar to where he kissed ladybug last night.

"Hey girl! Long night?" Alyah greeted her warmly, looping her arms around her in a lazy hug.

"Yeah. It was...crazy." She replied breathlessly.

"...is that why you have a hickey on your neck?" Nino questioned amusingly, suddenly waltzing into the picture.

Adrien's heart stilled. Its pulse echoed in his drums until he was sure he'd be deafened by the noise.

A flutter of laughter came about a moment later.

"I just burned myself while curling my hair." The girl simply replied.

Oh.

He could finally breathe. It wasn't what he thought it was.

But still, by the placement of the mark and the way the girl was nervously findling with the hem of her shirt, something nagged at his thoughts.

For some reason, Adrien got this weird feeling that Marinette wasn't telling the whole truth.

As he walked over to the group and stirred about conversation, he noticed Marinette's lack of focus. She was doing it again-daydreaming with that googly smile.

A smile that hitched a memory in his head. He felt a nauseating wave of Deja vu wash over him.

Her laugh, her smile, her eyes, her hair- they suddenly felt all too familiar. Which was weird because he had been friends with her for so long so of course they shouldn't look foreign. It was more like he had seen the same traits on someone else and that's what puzzled him.

"Duuuuude. Who gave you THAT?" Nino bellowed.

Marinette looked to what the DJ was pointing at. A love bite, just below the nook of the model's neck.

He watched her eyes widen, then deflate spontaneously.

Could it be? Was he really THAT dense?

"I burnt myself." He mumbled softly while staring at the bluenette's face being wrinkled into confusion. With that he stiffly turned, walking off to his first class.

Nino threw him a puzzled look.

"With what?" Was all Nino could think of to call out.

Alya hysterically laughed at her boyfriend's muddled reaction, clutching her stomach in amusement. Meanwhile, Marinette plummeted into her shamble of thoughts about what she had just seen on Adrien's neck.

Gripping onto the strap of his bag, the blonde bustled through the hall. His true answer to Nino's question was uncertain and quite frankly, driving him insane.

 _I technically did burn myself, just with the searing lips of ladybug...who could be Marinette._

Merely acknowledging the fact made him feel queasy because there was NO WAY he is THAT dense.

 _Then how do you explain her reaction, huh, dipwit?_

There was only one way he could know for sure.

*

Walking into chemistry last period, he saw that as expected, Marinette was perched on her spot. The classroom was fairly empty so he took his one shot.

Gliding by her desk, he made sure to lean in and whisper three words he hoped would conjure a reaction from her that would proove his hunch.

A hunch that had only grown as the long school day had dragged on.

"Happy Valentine's day."

Her head shot up immediately. A panic surged in her bluebell eyes only to be wiped away before calm settled in. Her mouth went dry and all she could do was let out a faint croak.

She ended up staring into his forest of greens like a deer caught in the headlights instead of telling him that the (infamous) V-day was yesterday.

Of course, that was enough proof for Adrien.

He strolled along over to his desk and plopped down joyfully on his stool.

Because, ladies and gentlemen, he not only had kissed ladybug but had accidentally found out who she is.

*

This was a valentine's day special I wrote this year :D

because hey, nothing screams valentines more than our two dorks finding each other out through hikies, am I right?

this fic is also inspired by Dua Lipa's (my queen) song, Genesis

loads of love,

Xoie


End file.
